In March, Defense and Munitions magazine published an article titled “Industry 4.0 breaks barriers in custom gun manufacturing” that explained how smart manufacturing, flexible automation, and Industry 4.0 are changing the way small firearms shops approach manufacturing.

“Smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies have fueled a significant investment in automation across sectors like aerospace, automotive, and precision tools,” Gunther Schnitzer, president and CEO of HERMLE USA said. “We now see small manufacturers in these industries competing in the production of high-performance parts. The firearm market is mirroring this trend, creating a tremendous opportunity for boutique shops to capture market share through advanced manufacturing and customization capabilities.”

Implementing new technologies means these smaller shops can more easily compete with larger factories. Custom firearm manufacturers using advanced manufacturing tools like automation and 5-axis machining centers have reduced retail prices by as much as 20 percent, according to the Defense and Munitions article.

Sirois Tool is well positioned to help these manufacturers reduce costs even more by accelerating their firearm inspections with custom Dow Gages.

“We’ve provided gages to firearms manufacturers for more than 65 years,” Sirois Tool President and CEO Alan Ortner says. “They’ve been used to check dimensions in pistols, shotguns, rifles, and automatic weapons, and every Dow Gage produces accurate, repeatable measurements.”

Until recently, the Dow gages Sirois Tool provides were only available with Mahr Federal dial indicators, but this spring the company announced it is now an authorized reseller of Mitutoyo dial indicators.

“This is more good news for firearm manufacturers,” Ortner says. “Adding Mitutoyo Digital Indicators gives them more options and increases our flexibility. We may be able to reduce lead times for our custom gages when we have the option of incorporating either a Mahr Federal or a Mitutoyo indicator.”

Ortner says both companies produce reliable, high quality indicators. “Ultimately, it’s the customers’ choice,” he adds. “Our goal is simply to provide precision gages to help them accurately inspect their products as quickly as possible.”

Whether your firearms shop is large or small, contact us when you’re ready to ensure consistently accurate inspections with custom Dow Gages.